Scorekeeping device



E. B. BRIDGES 2,505,382

SCORE KEEPING DEVICE April 25, 1950 I m/enlor Attorneys 2 Sheets-Sheet l Eduard 55mg m 9 By W I, H

Filed 001;. 2, 1946 April 25, 1950 E. B. BRIDGES SCORE KEEPING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Shet 2 Filed Oct. 2, 1946 WW 3M Patented Apr. 25, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SCOREKEEPIN G DEVICE Edward B. Bridges, Waycross, Ga.

Application October 2, 1946, Serial No. 700,604

This invention relates to an improved device by means of which the different conditions of play, the plays, and the scores of a game may be readily registered and recorded as they occur or vary during the playing of the game.

More particularly, the present invention aims to provide a scorekeeping device provided with means for registering the varying conditions of play and for recording the scores and plays during the different periods of play of a game being followed by persons over a radio, whereby to promote the interest and pleasure of the user in following the account of the particular game being broadcasted.

The exact nature and advantages of the invention will be better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a perspective View of a scorekeeping device constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof, partly broken away;

Figure 3 is an elevational view of one of the clips forming part of the invention and carrying a name strip.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the present invention includes a board which embodies a boxlike structure including a top wall 5, a rear wall 6, a front wall '5, and end walls 8. The top wall 5 is provided on and substantially centrally of its upper surface with the representation of a baseball playing field as generally indicated at F. The playing field has the outline 9 of a diamond, the home plate being indicated at It, first base at H, second base at 12, short stop at I3, and third base at M. The pitchers box is indicated at H), the catchers position at I6, and the outfield positions may be appropriately designated if desired, as at ll. Openings iii are provided in the top wall 5 at the several base positions indicated at H), H, l2 and i4.

Slide holders is are secured on the upper surface and at the corners of the top wall 5 for removable reception of scoring cards 26, 28 on which are delineated spaces to record in batting order certain activities of each individual player of the respective competing teams, and for removable reception of other scoring cards 2i and 22 on which to record scor s of the teams and other activities of the teams and players. The wall 5 has further sets of similar openings ltd and 18b in line with the numerals indicating the batting order of the players of the respective teams where they are provided on the first named 2 Claims. (01. 116-420) scoring cards in the spaces 23 of the latter. A plurality of clips 2d are provided which have stems 25 for removable reception in the sets of openings Ito and I8b and which may be selectively placed in the openings H5 at the bases and home plate. The clips 24 are adapted to removably retain stiff paper or cardboard strips 2?; bearing the names of the respective players of the teams.

Manually operable means are provided for respectively registering balls and strikes on each batter and the number of cuts for the team at bat. Each such means comprises a cube 2'! in front of which a suitable label 28 is provided on the top wall 5. Each cube 2?! has 2. depending shaft 29 which is journaled in the top wall 5 and near the back wall 6 of the board. A horizontal pulley 30 is fixed on each shaft 29 beneath the top wall 5, and a further horizontal pulley Si, in line with each of the pulleys 38, is journaled beneath the top Wall 5 and projects through the front wall 7 of the board. An endless transmis sion belt 32 is passed around each pulley 3d and the pulley 3| alined therewith, and each cube 2! has progressive numerals 33 on the vertical faces thereof. Thus, by engaging a pulley 3i with the thumb or a finger, it may be rotated to correspondingly turn the cube 2'! operatively connected therewith, and the number of balls and strikes on each batter and the number of outs for the team at bat may be indicated by the numerals displayed at the front faces of the cubes 2?.

Sliding drawers 34 are provided in the ends of the board, in which a number of the cards 20, 2t and 22 may be conveniently stored for future use.

In using the device, the clip 24 bearing the name of the player at bat, is placed at the home plate ill, the stem 25 of that clip being entered in the opening is provided at the home plate It. As play progresses, the balls and strikes on the batter are indicated by the proper ones of the cubes 2?. Should the batter reach any of the bases, the clip 24 holding the slip 26 bearing the batters name is positioned at the base or respective bases to which the batter progresses. This procedure is followed throughout each time at bat for each team, the outs being successively recorded by the remaining cube 21. The times at bat, runs, hits, put outs, assists and errors for each player may be recorded on the cards 2t as they occur, they being respectively totalled at the right hand ends of the cards.- Runs as scored each inning by the respective teams may be recorded on one of the cards 2| along with wild pitches, substitution of batters, stolen bases, runs batted in, three base hits, home runs, two base hits and double plays for the respective teams. On the other card 22, may be recorded strike cuts by the respective pitchers, players hit by pitched balls by each pitcher, errors, sacrifices and bases on balls obtained by each team, and the number of players left on bases for each team may also be recorded on the last named card 22. As the eneral manner in which these cards are used and printed is generally well known, detailed description of the respective cards is deemed um necessary herein. After each team completes its turn at the bat, the indicating cubes 2? af'e'i'eturned to the positions wherein the zeros are displayed. By reason of the construction and arrangement illustrated and described, it is obvious that the different conditions of play which take place during the game, or during any par ticular period of the game, can be quickly and conveniently registered and recorded to add to the interest of the user of the card, particularly when recording the game as heard over a radio or the like.

From the foregoing description, it is believed that the nature and advantages of the invention will be readily understood. However, it will be apparent that the invention is susceptible of modification and changes in details of construction such as fall within the scope of 'what is claimed.

What I claim is:

1. In a scorekeeping device for baseball games, a board having the representation of a baseball diamond thereon and provided with an opening at each base of said diamond, 'a card holder secured on said board, a scoring card removably disposed in said card holder and having batting order indicating numerals along the upper edge thereof and spaces below each numeral in which to write activities of the player batting in the order indicated by said numeral, said boardha'ving a horizontal row of openings adjacent the upper edge of said card arranged so that one opening is vertically aligned with each numeral of the card, and a plurality of clips adapted to be removably mounted in said row of openings, each clip being adapted to removably retain slips having the names of players thereon and having stems removably insertable in the openings at the bases of the diamond to indicate the positions of players of the team at bat with respect to said bases.

2. In a scorekeeping device, a box-like board including a front wall, a rear wall, and a top wall provided on its upper surface with the representation of a baseball diamond, and manually operable registering means for respectively registering balls and strikes for each batter and the humberofouts for the team at bat, each registering means cc'ir'n'prising a cube having a depending shaft journaled in the top wall near the rear wall and'rearwaraiy of the diamond, said cube having progressive numerals on vertical faces thereof, a pulley fixed on said shaft beneath the top wall, a second horizontal .pulley .journaled beneath the top wall near and projecting-forwardly through the front wall for convenient finger actuation, an endless belt passing around said pulleys to transmit rotation ofthe secondpulley to the first p'ulley and thereby turn the cube, and a label on the top wall directly in front of each cube to indicate what is to be registered by the latter, the cubes being arranged in adjacent side by side relation.

EDWARD B. BRIDGES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 402,700 VanZi-le May 7, 1889 $12,048 Kirby Feb. 6, 1906 1,042,142 Pohlig Oct. 2 2, 1912 1,252,691 Hennel Jan. 8, 1918 2,145,664 Ris'tow Jan. 31, 1939 2,355,905 Buxbaum Aug. 15, 1944 2,418,170 Friend Apr. 1, 1947 

